


you feel like the sun on my face

by thesurielofficial



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: 5+1 Things, Ambassador Sokka (Avatar), Firelord Zuko (Avatar), Fluff, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 08:00:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25559962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesurielofficial/pseuds/thesurielofficial
Summary: 5 times the palace staff thought Zuko and Sokka were dating + the one time the two of them realised they should be.
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 42
Kudos: 659





	you feel like the sun on my face

**Author's Note:**

> title from [ Favourite Place by All Time Low ft. The Band CAMINO ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dr27fyqc0o)

i.

When Daiyu reaches the Fire Nation, she doesn’t know what to expect. It had all been so sudden. She had been summoned by the Earth King Kuei and offered a position as an ambassador to the Fire Nation. The job would pay well and was only for a year, as of now, so she had accepted.

She wonders whether she’s going to regret the decision, as she waits in the council room for the Water Tribe Ambassador and the Fire Lord. She begins to doodle the designs on the wall onto her notepad when the Fire Lord walks in, hand in hand with a man who must be the Water Tribe Ambassador. She stands up to greet him.

“Ambassador Daiyu,” he says, greeting her in the way of the Earth Kingdom. He seems nice, though a little young, and Daiyu likes that he knows of the Earth Kingdom traditions, so she smiles and greets him. “I’m so sorry for us being late; I hope we didn’t keep you waiting too long.”

“It’s quite alright, Fire Lord Zuko. After all, I did arrive a day early. And this must be the Water Tribe Ambassador?”

“Ambassador Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe at your service, ma’am,” the man says, winking at her. He seems young too, but eager nonetheless. Daiyu decides she likes the two men, who she will now be working with, according to what King Kuei told her.

“Please, sit.,” Fire Lord Zuko says. They take seats at the long table, Sokka and Zuko next to each other, both of them opposite to her.”I was thinking we should discuss ways to bridge the gaps between all our nations, even culturally and perhaps today we could just brainstorm some ideas and get to know each other so that we can work better in the future.”

“That sounds wonderful, Fire Lord Zuko. There is a lot our cultures have in common, and it is important for our people to respect each other if we ever want to truly repair the damage this war has caused.”

Fire Lord Zuko winces at her words. “Please, just call me Zuko,” he says, with a slightly painful smile. It’s odd of him to be this informal. Daiyu had always pictured the Fire Nation as a strict place in which the slightest hints of indiscipline were punished. Perhaps this Zuko really is different.

“And you may call me Sokka, too,” the Water Tribe Ambassador says quickly. He glances at Zuko’s slightly fearful face for a second and then looks at Daiyu, as if daring her to judge Zuko for being informal.

“Alright, Sokka, Zuko. I suppose we would all be more comfortable around each other if we use first names,” she says, smiling at them. She doesn’t miss the way Sokka squeezes Zuko’s hand affectionately, or the grateful look in Zuko’s eyes that is directed to the both of them. Perhaps the Water Tribe Ambassador and the Fire Lord are closer than she’d previously thought.

ii.

Amaruq is a little afraid when he follows Sokka to the Fire Nation. Well, he didn’t exactly _follow_ Sokka. It all began when Sokka complained about how the Fire Nation needs more diversity when it came to food and had wondered aloud about whether Amaruq could come for a month or two just because he missed Water Tribe food. Amaruq had known Sokka since they were young, and had thought of him as a younger brother since they only had an eight year gap between them. However, when it was time for the adult men to leave for war, only Amaruq had qualified. It was during these two years abroad that he had learnt to cook and had perfected the skill. And he knows that when Sokka gets an idea in his head, he can get pretty determined. So, when he began to rant about how this would be a wonderful opportunity for a cultural exchange between the Southern Water Tribe and the Fire Nation, Amaruq found himself agreeing to the idea.

Now, he’s a little worried about how the Fire Nation will treat him, and it makes him angry because it reminds him of the irony of Fire Nation citizens thinking of him as uncivilised or savage when he’s the one who should be hating them. But Amaruq is a peaceful man, so he tries not to dwell on this anger and tries to keep an open mind.

“Hello! Are you the new cook from the Southern Water Tribe?” asks a woman, when Amaruq is led to the kitchen. She’s around his age, perhaps a few years older, and seems bubbly and full of enthusiasm. Amaruq is too stunned to do anything but nod. “Oh, that’s wonderful! The Fire Lord will be so pleased. We tried to make some Water Tribe delicacies for your ambassador, but they never came out well. Fire Lord Zuko, of course was quite sad about it. I think he just wants Ambassador Sokka to feel more at home. I’m Fai, I’m one of the new head cooks here,” she says, introducing herself.

“I’m Amaruq. When do we get started?” He isn’t worried about being ostracised anymore, and quite likes Fai’s energy, but he’s a little, well, overwhelmed by all the information. He’d known that Sokka was close to Zuko, but it hadn’t really hit him until now. Before Fai can answer, there’s a knock and the kitchen door opens.

“Fire Lord Zuko!” Fai exclaims, greeting him in the traditional Fire Nation salute. The Fire Lord greets her back with a smile.

“Fai, I’ve told you to call me Zuko. There’s no need for formalities,” he says and Fai smiles sheepishly. It’s odd to see the Fire Lord, as he’s younger than Amaruq himself, around Sokka’s age and to govern an entire nation at such a young age, that too at such a critical time, is quite a tough job. “And you must be Amaruq of the Southern Water Tribe. Sokka’s told me so much about you and your cooking. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“The pleasure is mine,” Amaruq says. It’s odd how Zuko’s name lights up when he mentions Sokka. What Sokka had told him before about them being good friends must be true, then. “I was just wondering when I could get started.”

“Oh, of course! Let Fai just show you around. I was just wondering if you were alright with me watching for a bit? I’d like to see how Sokka’s favourite delicacies are prepared. He feels a little homesick, and I guess it wouldn’t hurt to know how to prepare some of his favourite foods.” Zuko stops, then, blushing a bit. It seems like the Fire Lord can tend to ramble. Fai shoots him a cheeky smile and Amaruq isn’t sure how to interpret it at first.

“Yes, that would be nice for Sokka. I don’t mind at all. There’s a stew he used to love as a child. Has he ever told you about it?”

“No, not really. Could you, uh, tell me? I mean, only if you want to. It’s just interesting to know more about So-Water Tribe culture,” Zuko says, going slightly red again. It dawns on Amaruq what Fai’s smile had meant. He saves this piece of information for later, making a note to tease Sokka about it.

iii.

When Fire Lord Zuko announces that the Water Tribe Ambassador will be joining their meeting about the curriculum, Rou is a little surprised. He hasn’t really interacted with the young ambassador, but he’s excited to meet him. Rou was one of the few generals who had stayed on as a part of the new Council that Fire Lord Zuko was setting up. Most generals had resigned, or stayed only to betray Zuko as Ozai sympathisers, but Rou had never quite liked the old Fire Lord. Besides, staying on as an advisor had been the best way for him to keep a job after the war had ended. 

In the beginning, he’d distrusted the young Fire Lord’s idealistic philosophies and easy acceptance, but two years have passed and he’s seen that Zuko is compassionate and determined to bring peace to their nation. Perhaps a few years ago he would have found it distasteful to allow a foreigner into important discussions, but now he’s looking forward to the prospect.

“Ambassador Sokka and I were thinking that we should not only revise the old curriculum that dealt with foreign nations, but also add more about their cultures. The old curriculum instilled a lot of hatred against other nations in our people, and this could help in reducing such prejudice,” Zuko proposes, beginning the meeting. He looks at Ambassador Sokka who then continues.

“I will help with the part concerning the two Water Tribes. Ambassador Daiyu, who could not be here today as she is sick, will help with chapters concerning the Earth Kingdom. I see no reason for anyone to reject a proposal like this, which is economically feasible, practical, and is a long-term solution to the problem of bigotry in the Fire Nation.”

“My Lord, if I may,” says a councilman, Councilman Shi. “Why should we waste our time on such small things like this when we should be focusing on the economy? Besides, this plan has clearly been suggested by a foreigner and just because he is close to you does not mean that this should cloud your judgment.”

The fires in the room grow dangerously brighter and the look in Zuko’s eyes is a little terrifying, but Councilman Shi does not nudge, even as the whole room quietens.

“To answer your question, Councilman, Fire Lord Sozin had created a system of propaganda that has been doing irreparable damage to the psyche of Fire Nation citizens from a young age. It is important to change these systems that have been set in place before we can move on to other things in order for the world to heal and Fire Lord Zuko simply agrees with me on this. It was he who had begun the process of revising the curriculum and he simply asked me for my opinions. In fact, your clear distaste at the idea of a ‘foreigner’ having a say in policies that affect international relations proves our point.” At the ambassador’s words, the fires go back to normal and Zuko’s expression relaxes. The Fire Lord looks at his ambassador with a soft, grateful expression, and Rou looks away because it seems like this is an expression that is too vulnerable to be seen by anyone else but the two of them.

When Councilman Shi stumbles to apologise, Rou thinks that maybe Ambassador Sokka won’t be a foreigner for much longer.

iv.

The maids tend to gossip. Hua isn’t one for gossip, not usually. She just wants to finish her work then go home to her fiancée. She’s always been grateful to Fire Lord for legalising same-sex unions. She had thanked him before, and he’d told her that she didn’t have to thank him for something that is so basic. Of course, she had never thought of what personal stake he might have had in that decision, until now.

“I’ve heard that he and Ambassador Sokka are in a secret relationship,” says Jiao, one of her coworkers.

“Fire Lord Zuko is gay?” Hua asks. She isn’t surprised, not exactly. There are a lot more queer people in the world than most people would think. But the Fire Lord being gay is a big thing. It makes a difference to all the people in the Fire Nation who’ve been told that they were unnatural, that they were wrong, during the reign of Ozai and Azulon.

“Hua, for a lesbian, your gaydar is surprisingly bad. Have you not seen the way the two men look at each other?” Jiao answers, rolling her eyes.

“I’ve never really interacted with Ambassador Sokka. Do you really think they’re together?”

“They definitely love each other. I think they’re trying to keep it secret, but with the way they gaze at each other, and all the casual touching and displays of affection, they’re clearly failing. And do you know about the Amaruq incident?”

“What Amaruq incident?”

“Ooh, let me tell her!” Fai cuts in. “So a few months ago, when Amaruq from the Southern Water Tribe arrived to teach us some of their recipes, Zuko was down immediately to meet him. He stayed to watch us work, and blushed every time when he mentioned Sokka. When he left, even Amaruq understood what was going on. And Amaruq hadn’t even seen them together yet!”

“Wait, this has been going on for four months?” Hua asks, shocked. Surely she can’t have been that oblivious when it came to palace drama.

“Oh, yes! Even when I go to serve breakfast to Fire Lord Zuko, Ambassador Sokka is almost always there with him. I think Zuko eats a late breakfast just so he can dine with Sokka, because as a firebender, he gets up at five, but he always eats at around eight, just after Sokka wakes up,” adds Sana.

Hua decides that this has been enough gossip for her, and says her goodbyes for the day. As she walks home, she can’t help but think that she has a lot to tell her fianceé.

v.

Abhiti is on her first guard duty as one of Fire Lord Zuko’s personal guards when Ambassador Sokka greets her.

“Ambassador Sokka,” she says, greeting him formally with a Fire Nation salute. “What can I do for you?”

“Oh, just Sokka, please,” he says, smiling at her. “I haven’t seen you around here before. What’s your name?”

“I’m Abhiti. I’m actually Daiyu’s personal guard but I’m stepping in for Neeraj for the month,” she replies, smiling back. There’s something about Sokka that makes her feel comfortable around him despite not knowing him well.

“Oh, is he alright?” asks Sokka, genuine concern colouring his voice.

“Oh, yes. He’s on vacation right now, actually. Apparently, Zuko himself insisted,” she says. She still isn’t entirely used to saying Zuko instead of Fire Lord Zuko, but he’s told her that it makes him uncomfortable to be called Fire Lord. Nevertheless, a part of her is worried that she’ll be fired for disrespect.

“Oh, that’s good! Speaking of Zuko, I’m actually here to see him.”

“At ten thirty?” Abhiti asks, raising an eyebrow.

“Well, yes I suppose it is ten thirty,” Sokka replies, completely unperturbed. 

“Is this something that happens regularly?” 

“Yeah, you can ask Zuko before letting me in if it’ll make you feel more comfortable.”

Abhiti knocks on the door, opening it when she hears an affirmation.

“Sir, Ambassador Sokka is here to see you,” she informs him. Zuko seems to perk up at that.

“Oh, let him in!” Zuko says, his face all lit up.

When she lets him in and closes the door, she is confused. She can’t hear anything of their conversation, not that she’d eavesdrop, but she is curious as to why the Ambassador would meet up with the Fire Lord at such an hour. 

And then, she realises. It can’t be, can it? Surely she would have heard about it before, unless they were being secret on purpose. But then again, if they were in a secret relationship, surely they wouldn’t be so open about it. Abhiti stands guard, finally coming to the conclusion that the gossip hadn’t reached her years yet.

And if she didn’t see Ambassador Sokka come out of the room, she certainly kept quiet about it.

\+ 1

“So, I was in the kitchen the other day,” Sokka says, as he and Zuko walk to the turtleduck pond. “And Fai told me something very interesting.”

“Did she now?” asks Zuko, decidedly looking at the grass.

“Yeah. Turns out the entire palace staff thinks we’re dating.”

“Oh, that’s, uh, that’s wild, right? I mean, you and me? Us, dating? They must be so starved of actual gossip to come up with something that improbable.” Zuko still doesn’t look at Sokka, but he notices it when Sokka stops abruptly.

“Wow, Zuko. That’s harsh.” Neither of them are looking at each other now. And they’ve both stopped. So, they’re just standing a few feet away from the pond, looking at anything but each other. 

“Oh, well. It’s only harsh if I’m actually hurting your feelings,” Zuko says and he tries to smile, but all he can think about is how Sokka will never truly have feelings for him and how joking about something like this just isn’t possible for Zuko because he’s in too deep.

“Whatever, Zuko. I can take a hint, you don’t have to rub it in or whatever.” 

“Rub what in?” Zuko asks. He wishes he hadn’t asked. Sokka must have been joking, right? If Zuko looks up now, Sokka will actually be laughing. They’re joking, aren’t they? 

Zuko looks up. Sokka isn’t smiling, he looks angry. “Spirits, Zuko. You know what I mean. I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable, but you don’t get to pretend to be oblivious. That’s not fair to me. We’re still friends, aren’t we?”

“Of course we’re friends. And you never made me uncomfortable. Sokka, what are you talking about?” The question comes out softly, softer than Zuko had intended. There’s something about the vulnerability of Sokka’s blue eyes, about how the space between them feels charged.

“You truly don’t know? Of course you don’t, you’re so oblivious. Zuko, I’m in love with you.”

The words don’t even register at first. And then they do. And Zuko feels so light, like he could fly because he’s so happy. He’d never expected, never thought, never hoped, but here is Sokka, here is Sokka saying he loves him. 

Love. Zuko knows this word. He knows what it feels like to love someone, to be in love with someone. He knows what it’s like to love because he’s been in love with Sokka for two years now.

To be loved. Zuko knows this feeling. He knows what it’s like to be loved because Sokka is always there for him, because Sokka is never afraid of his firebending, because Sokka sneaks in fireflakes from the kitchen at three a.m. when Zuko has a nightmare. Sokka loves him.

“I’m in love with you, too. Agni, I love you so much, Sokka, you don’t even know,” he says, laughing giddily.

“Oh, yeah?” There’s something in Sokka’s expression, something soft, something hungry. “Why don’t you tell me?”

And then Zuko can feel Sokka’s lips on his own and he melts into it. 

Zuko’s always thought that when you really, really want something for a long time, it isn’t as good when you actually get it. And Zuko has wanted to kiss Sokka for a long time now. But now that it’s actually happening, it couldn’t be more perfect. No amount of wanting, no amount of dreaming, nothing could have prepared him for this.

He doesn’t know for how long they’ve been kissing but when they pull apart, Sokka’s lips are pink and Zuko traces them with his finger, thinking, _I did that_.

“Do you want to go see the turtleducks now?” Sokka asks.

Zuko had completely forgotten about how going to the turtleduck pond had been their original plan for the day, but he nods now. Perhaps a part of him wants to continue what he and Sokka had just been doing, but he knows that they have a long, long time to do so.

For now, he takes Sokka’s warm, rough hand in his own and they walk together to the pond.

And if they end up making out by the side of the pond, that’s really their business, isn’t it?

* * *

By the next morning, everyone knows. Hua may or may not have told Fai. Fai may or may not have told the rest of the kitchen staff. The rest of the staff may or may not have told Abhiti who may or may not have told Daiyu and well, you know how it goes.

**Author's Note:**

> I've become a little attached to these OCs and I've decided their entire lives now. 
> 
> Daiyu and Abhiti fall in love. Abhiti has Air Nomad heritage and she's desi (because I'm desi and I said so). She's buff and a great fire bender, Daiyu gets a little flustered around her. After the first year, Daiyu moved back home to Ba Sing Se, but she comes at least four times a year for their meetings. She and Abhiti realise they miss each other when Daiyu isn't there. Also, Daiyu, Sokka and Zuko are great friends.
> 
> Rou is very chill when he hears about Zuko and Sokka and casually congratulates Zuko during a meeting. Zuko blushes throughout the meeting.
> 
> Huh gets married and Zuko attends, obviously. 
> 
> Fai and Amaruq end up being close friends and they still keep in touch. She ends up visiting him later, too. Maybe there is more than friendship, maybe there is not.
> 
> Anywho, hi! I'm Anu, you can find me on [Tumblr](https://thesurielbitch.tumblr.com). Feel free to say hi or rant about Zukka to me.
> 
> Comments and kudos are very much appreciated!


End file.
